1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaner assemblies and, more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner assembly having an internal cord winder apparatus.
2. Discussion
Vacuum cleaner assemblies are used in a wide variety of applications and environments. Such systems typically are powered by a 120 volt AC power source via an AC plug outlet in the wall of a building, house or other like structure. Accordingly, it is usually necessary to use a power cord which is either fixedly or releasably coupled to the vacuum cleaner assembly to conduct power to the assembly.
When a vacuum cleaner assembly is not in use, the power cord, if it is fixedly secured to the assembly, must typically be wound upon a portion of the assembly or otherwise wound up to prevent it from being damaged or severed from the vacuum cleaner assembly. Thus, it is usually necessary after each use of the vacuum cleaner assembly to wind up the power cord associated therewith and unwind it the next time the assembly is used.
The need to manually wind and unwind the power cord with each use of a vacuum cleaner assembly can detract from the convenience from using the assembly. Where an extra-long power cord is needed, for example, when an area to be cleaned is not closely adjacent a source of power such as an AC wall plug receptacle, an even greater degree of inconvenience may be introduced in using the vacuum cleaner assembly.
A further consideration when dealing with power cords adapted to be used with vacuum cleaner assemblies is the desire and need to maintain the assembly in a relatively compact form. Although cord winders in general are well known in the art, previously developed cord winder assemblies have tended to be somewhat bulky and not well suited for use with vacuum cleaner assemblies. This deficiency is even further apparent when many prior art cord winders are attempted to be integrated into the internal structure of a vacuum cleaner assembly. Since vacuum cleaner assemblies are typically relatively compact devices, previously developed cord winders have proven difficult to incorporate into these assemblies without creating significantly obtrusive protuberances on various body portions of such vacuum cleaner assemblies or significantly altering the shape of the body to an undesirable degree.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner system which enables a power cord associated with the assembly to be stored within the assembly when the assembly is not in use and quickly and easily removed therefrom when the assembly is to be used.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner system which is operable to fit compactly within a body of the vacuum cleaner assembly to thereby avoid producing any aesthetically or functionally unappealing protuberances on an outer body of the vacuum cleaner assembly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner assembly which includes a spool disposed coaxially over at least a portion of a motor of the assembly, where the spool enables a power cord to be wound thereupon and thus housed internally within the assembly when not in use, and quickly, easily and efficiently pulled out (i.e., unwound) when it is desired to use the assembly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a spool for supporting a power cord would thereupon and a race upon which the spool is coaxially disposed, where the race enables the spool to be rotated smoothly and easily when it is desired to wind or unwind the power cord.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner assembly which incorporates a spool for supporting a power cord wound thereupon and a brake for releasably maintaining the spool in a desired position after at least a portion of the power cord has been removed from the spool.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner system which includes a means for transmitting power received from a power cord of the apparatus to a motor of the assembly.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner assembly which includes a spool upon which a power cord is wound, where a spring is operably associated with the spool to rotate the spool in a direction operable to wind the power cord thereupon and to maintain the power cord in a fully wound position primarily within the assembly when not in use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cord winder apparatus for a vacuum cleaner assembly which is quickly, easily and relatively inexpensively constructed from widely available materials, and operable to neatly and compactly house a power cord within the vacuum cleaner assembly when the assembly is not in use.